Traditionally, marrying within your caste was ensured by your relatives. Now it’s just as often ensured by apps, websites and your own family networks. In traditional systems of caste, marriage is tightly woven into caste structures, because caste is a system of hereditary social divisions. This guide examines caste matrimony and its relation to arranged marriage, describes caste discrimination in the context of matrimonial websites and apps, explains the prevalence of inter-caste marriage and examines the discourse amongst families in the United Kingdom and United States of America.
Caste and marriage
As our other guides explain, in systems of social hierarchy, marriage is a key means of preserving social divisions. In the India Human Development Survey, only 5 per cent of Indians reported marrying across caste lines (International Dalit Solidarity Network, on IHDS).
Census data on marriages gives a similar picture. Inter-caste marriages accounted for around 5.82 per cent of all marriages in India in 2011, as compared to around 10 per cent in 2005-2006 (Marriage Murders and Anti-Caste Feminist Politics in India, ScienceDirect, citing Census of India 2011, and Das, Roy and Tripathy, 2011). The figures are from different sources, so use the difference with care.
Caste filters on matrimonial sites
Online matrimonial sites enable users to search based on a number of criteria. Caste is one of those. One researcher mentioned that both dating and matrimony sites enable filtering based on both caste and religion (Marriage murders and anti-caste feminist politics in India, ScienceDirect). Some have argued that filters such as these bifurcate the society into multiple groups who get married to people in the same group only (Takshashila Institution, “Ethical Dilemmas of [Digital] Indian Matchmaking”).
An audit of the two largest Indian matrimonial sites Jeevansathi and Shaadi.com, carried out in 2025, found that their mechanisms rely on structured preferences and rankings to determine which profiles to show (Digital Caste, Monk Prayogshala, 2026, citing the ACM audit). The platforms do not just provide a list. They actively regulate which matches get listed.
Reports also show that the platforms are changing. As reported by Jeevansathi in 2025, 91% of their users selected caste as a strict preference in 2016, and now 54% do (ThePrint, 2025). This shows that about 54% of the users in 2025 are showing preferences based on caste, and it does not show any trends beyond the users of Jeevansathi.
Shaadi.com UK controversy
Shaadi.com, considered the largest Indian wedding website in the UK, was drawn into controversy for alleged reinforcement of caste-based discrimination in February 2020, for providing an option to users for exclusion of matches with members of the Scheduled Castes (The Tribune, “Indian matrimonial site under fire in UK”). However, Shaadi.com denied the charge of inclining towards caste-based discrimination and said that the ‘community’ filter was not designed to be discriminatory (The Tribune). Milsom, the first caste-based discrimination case barrister in the UK said that restricting matches by caste could be in breach of the Equality Act (as reported by The Tribune). Santosh Dass, the chair of the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance said that the practice was outrageous and would never be done for race (as reported by The Tribune).
From the logs, the Takeshila Institution says the controversy erupted when it was reported that users of the upper-caste community were not provided matches with users of the lower-caste community, which was only changed following an adjustment to their filter settings (Takshashila Institution). I found no UK court or regulator orders on the matter. Our UK guide explains why caste is not mentioned in the Equality Act, and our worldwide comparison shows how other countries address the issue.
“No caste” and “caste no bar”
Several websites permit users to make “no caste bar” profiles or look for “no caste” profiles. One article on matrimonial sites states that the presence of “caste no bar” is an indication of a conditional acceptance to other social constructs and not an outright rejection to them (Digital Caste, Monk Prayogshala, 2026). This is an individual’s opinion and not a finding from a research study. For users interested in inter-caste marriage, a no-caste filter exists on some of the large matrimonial sites, however we do not endorse any sites.
Indian Matchmaking and caste dating apps
The 2020 release of Indian Matchmaking on Netflix showed an Indian American matchmaker and the clients she served in India and the US (Marriage murders and anti-caste feminist politics in India, ScienceDirect). The show was widely critiqued for encouraging casteism and colorism (ScienceDirect, citing Ellis-Petersen, 2020). Many people in the West, including viewers of the show, learned about caste in matchmaking for the first time.
There are sites and apps for particular castes as well. A search for “Brahmin dating apps” shows there is a demand for apps with matching for specific communities. We do not list or review such sites and apps. To know more about caste bias in artificial intelligence, please read our other article.
What the diaspora says
In the diaspora, marriage brings caste out in the open. Students who hide their caste, as described in our post on caste on campus, may find that their secret comes out as their family discusses prospective candidates. In the US, our post on caste in America, describes the surveys and the law. I was unable to locate a reliable survey on caste and marriage in South Asians in the US and the UK, so this post will not address marriage practices in the UK.
Opposition to inter-caste marriages can be strong. There have been numerous instances where advertisements, films and social media posts endorsing inter-caste relationships have resulted in protests and even banning in India (Marriage murders and anti-caste feminist politics in India, ScienceDirect).
If you want to talk to your family
Planning an inter-caste marriage means having a tough conversation with parents. Our ebook, Convince Parents for Inter Caste Marriage, is a 27-tip guide to helping couples have this difficult conversation with their parents. The ebook is written in Hinglish and is priced at ₹97 (~$1 USD). There is no mention of the ebook suggesting that readers disrespect or leave their parents (as translated from the website).
Importance
Caste is less likely to survive in the public sphere, but in the private sphere of marriage, it can. Matrimonial sites make that process of arranging marriage more efficient, which is why they have raised legal and ethical challenges. (For communities documenting their own experiences, skills in blogging, AI tools and email marketing have become crucial. The Ambedkarite Educational Program was designed to teach these skills) A deeper explanation of Dalits can be found in our other post.
What to know
Caste matrimony is marrying within one’s caste. Of the two sources we consulted, between 2 and 5% of Indian marriages are inter-caste. Matrimonial sites allow users to filter by caste, and in 2020, Shaadi.com was critised in the UK for a feature to exclude SCs. The company denied there was a caste-based bias. Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking was similar. Laws surrounding caste-based filters are uncharted, and there is not much reliable data for the diaspora.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is caste matrimony?
It is the practice of choosing a spouse from within one’s own caste. It is common in arranged marriage and on matrimonial websites that let users search by caste.
How common is inter-caste marriage in India?
About 5 per cent in the India Human Development Survey, and about 5.82 per cent in the 2011 Census, down from about 10 per cent in 2005–2006. The figures come from different sources.
Do matrimonial sites have caste filters?
Yes. Major platforms let users filter by caste and religion, and also offer “no caste bar” options. A 2025 audit found that their ranking systems shape which profiles users see.
Was Shaadi.com criticised over caste?
In February 2020, it was criticised in the UK for allegedly letting users exclude Scheduled Castes. Shaadi.com denied caste-based bias. A barrister said such filters could contravene the Equality Act, but I found no ruling.
Where can I find an inter caste marriage site?
Major matrimonial platforms include “no caste bar” options. This guide does not recommend a particular site.
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SOURCES
- The Tribune, “Indian matrimonial site under fire in UK over ‘caste-based discrimination’” (PTI), February 2020
- Takshashila Institution, “Ethical Dilemmas of [Digital] Indian Matchmaking”
- ScienceDirect, “Marriage murders and anti-caste feminist politics in India”
- ACM Digital Library, “An Algorithmic Audit of Online Matrimonial Platforms in India”
- Monk Prayogshala, “Digital Caste: Matrimony Platforms and the Persistence of Endogamy,” 2026
- ThePrint, “Only 54% Indians are now looking to marry within caste, says report”
- International Dalit Solidarity Network, on IHDS findings
- Wikipedia, “Shaadi.com”
